


Switched at Birth Revisited

by untiltheyfindtheperfectgirl



Category: Switched at Birth (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-20
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 15:25:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1988022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/untiltheyfindtheperfectgirl/pseuds/untiltheyfindtheperfectgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of Switched at Birth with a Bemmett twist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. American Gothic

Chapter 1: American Gothic

“It’s kinda like hanging out with Grandpa,” Toby joked. 

Bay smiled at her brother’s attempt at a joke, the sound of a roaring engine drawing her attention causing her to look over her shoulder and out the back window. The source of the noise came into view as a figure on a motorbike turned into the Kennish’s driveway. Bay sat in complete shock, clueless as to whom this mysterious individual could be. She was the only person in the family who could possibly know such a shady figure in all black and riding a ‘death-trap’ as Kathryn would describe it. 

Daphne suddenly stood up announcing the identity of the mystery man who had piqued Bay’s interest. “My ride’s here, so-“ she mumbled, ready to get out of the kitchen, which had a sudden, awkward atmosphere after her rhubarb comment. 

Bay rolled her eyes as her parent practically sprinted after Daphne. She knew this wouldn’t end well and was delighted that for the first time someone other than her was about to be reprimanded. The other three members of the Kennish family were surrounding the motorbike before Bay could even be brought out of her thoughts to go and greet the new arrival. Bay took her place next to her older brother just in time to see the teenager on the motorbike begin to sign. Bay raised her eyebrows with interest, realizing Daphne’s friend was also deaf, which actually made a lot of sense when she thought about it. 

“He says he traded a rookie Mark McGuire for you,” Daphne interpreted. 

“Huh, why?” John asked curiously, attempting to keep as calm as possible with a teenage stranger attempting to whisk his daughter off on a motorbike.

“’Cause he was nine!” Daphne teased Emmett. “He read that you were cut from your high school team and you didn’t give up and he really liked that.”

Emmett smiled at John, excited but also quite uncomfortable with meeting Daphne’s almost, sort-of family. 

“You get an autograph picture, my friend,” John stated proudly.

“I happen to have one in my wallet right now,” Bay cut in, mocking her father. 

“Uh, Toby and this is Bay,” Daphne introduced as Emmett asked who they were. 

Bay smiled with a slight wave, making eye contact with Emmett for the first time. He smiled back at the curly haired girl, instantly feeling drawn to her. Bay bit her lip and looked down at her feet with a blush on her cheeks, causing him to smirk to himself.

“How long have you two been together?” Kathryn asked suddenly, making assumptions about the two seemingly inseparable teenagers. 

“Oh, no we’re not together, just friends,” Daphne explained as both her and Emmett flailed helplessly, embarrassed by the question. Bay bit back a smile at the news of Emmett’s apparent single status. 

“Well, I’m happy to meet you anyway,” Kathryn laughed embarrassedly as Bay gave her an amused look. 

“Hey, sweetie,” Regina greeted, descending the stairs from the guesthouse to greet the 16 year old she considered to be family. 

“I didn’t know you could be so young and still drive a motorcycle,” Kathryn suddenly announced causing Bay to roll her eyes as her mother finally vocalized what all the Kennish’s knew she was keeping inside.

“You just need to be 16,” Regina explained, knowing that Kathryn was obviously more concerned with Emmett’s hearing, or lack thereof. 

“Oh, wow. I didn’t know that.”

Bay silently grimaced as Regina reconfirmed her statement. 

“Well, you better get going,” Regina signed to the two deaf teenagers as Daphne climbed onto the back of Emmett’s bike, wrapping her arms around him. The two sped off leaving four shocked looking Kennish’s in their wake. 

“Okay, uh, what just happened?” Bay asked in an accusatory tone. 

“I think she just left on a ’66 Triumph Bonneville TT,” Toby answered sarcastically. 

“Oh, so I drink half a beer and get grounded for a week, but she gets to whiz around the city on the back of the friend you just met’s motorcycle.”

“Don’t worry, we’re gonna fix that,” John stated firmly, determined to get his daughter off the back of that boy’s bike. 

“You’re gonna un-ground me?” Bay asked sweetly. 

“No, but nice try.”

“Why does she get to do whatever she wants,” Bay whined sadly, annoyed that her parents were giving their newfound ‘real’ daughter special treatment. 

“Okay, you’re grounded because you were arrested,” Kathryn reminded.

“And now you two go off to school, bye-bye,” John shoed his children, knowing that an argument with Bay was never-ending.

Bay glared at her parents before stomping away grumpily towards Toby’s car. Bay sat silently on the ride to school, her thoughts consumed with Emmett and his mysteriousness. She was definitely determined to see more of him.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bay crouched behind the bushes outlining the guesthouse entryway, surprised by the sound of what she now knew to be Emmett’s motorbike. She watched silently as Emmett and Daphne pulled into the driveway. Daphne climbed off of Emmett’s bike and set her helmet down smiling at her best friend. Bay fumed with jealousy as Daphne hugged her best friend goodnight. 

As Emmett pulled out of the driveway Bay decided to emerge from the bushes and make herself known to Daphne. Throughout her conversation with Daphne, Bay couldn’t seem to push away the feelings of guilt and annoyance that were building inside her. She had just met both Emmett and Ty and she was developing feelings for both of them and was at a loss for what to do.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The next morning after the confrontation between all the Kennish’s and the two Vasquez’s all three teenagers made their way out of the house. Bay watched as Daphne tried to settle herself on the back of Emmett’s motorbike where he was waiting by the door. Bay took the opportunity of Daphne’s distraction to wave happily at Emmett. He smiled back at the girl in front of him. 

Bay took a deep breath, seemingly preparing herself for something. Emmett stared curiously as Bay squeezed her eyes tightly and began tentatively signing. 

“Have a good day,” Bay signed and said quietly, unable to look at Emmett as she did so.

When Bay opened her eyes she saw Emmett was smiling widely and reciprocating the polite gesture. She jumped suddenly as Toby honked his car horn, impatiently waiting behind the wheel of his car. Bay sighed before giving a small wave and skipping towards Toby’s car while Emmett watched her with a smile. Daphne tapped his shoulder lightly, signalling she was ready to head off to school.


	2. Dancing Amongst Daggers

Chapter 2: Dance Amongst Daggers

As Bay exited the back door of her house and entered into the elaborate fundraiser her mother had organized she surveyed the crowd, eyes immediately drawn to Emmett behind a drum set on stage. Bay stared curiously, wondering if he would actually be a good drummer. As she continued to stare dreamily at her secret crush she followed his line of sight. He was watching Daphne talk to a group of teenage boys intently, clearly upset at the sight. 

“Unbelievable! Is the whole fricking world in love with her?” Bay muttered to herself jealously. Not only was her supposed new boyfriend not even willing to come and keep her company at the torturous fundraiser now she had also realized her crush was in love with Daphne. 

Bay snatched a flute of champagne from a server walking past her. She stared down at the drink knowing alcohol wasn’t a good idea with Regina’s alcoholism. She bit her lip before making the decision to down the bubbly drink. 

As the party continued on Bay remained at the table she had claimed as her own, gathering a collection of empty champagne flutes. Tonight sucked so clearly drinking her sorrows away was the only solution. As Toby’s band began playing Bay felt the rush of alcohol through her veins, clouding her senses and making her feel lighter. She danced along to the band slightly, eyes not leaving Emmett, amazed at his talent despite being deaf. He had more rhythm than her and he couldn’t even hear the actual beat. 

Towards the end of Guitar Face’s set another waiter passed Bay and she quickly grabbed two more drinks. The young man looked at Bay cautiously, knowing she was likely underage but decided to simply collect the empty glasses surrounding the 16 year old. Bay swayed along to non-existing music and kept watching Emmett as he stood from the drum kit. She watched with jealousy as a girl approached him and attempted to have a conversation with him. Bay set her drink down, making her way towards the teenagers while the were talking but stopped as she saw the girl walk away with a sad looking Emmett left in her wake. Bay stopped and watched Emmet, debating whether she should still go talk to the boy. Emmett made the decision for her as he jumped off the stage and stormed through the Kennish house towards the front door. Bay sighed wishing she had the courage to approach Emmett. She hadn’t spoken to him in weeks since the Vasquez’s had first moved in.


	3. The Persistence of Memory

Chapter 3: The Persistence of Memory 

Bay made her way across the lawn between buildings at Buckner heading to her last period French class. A figure dressed in non-uniform clothing caught her eye as she walked. As Bay neared the individual she realized it was Emmett taking pictures of what appeared to be a leaf on an old tree. 

“Emmett!” Bay called with a sudden burst of confidence. 

When Emmett ignored her she frowned in a dejected manner. Suddenly she realized her stupidity, forgetting he deaf and not ignoring her. As she approached the boy she cautiously tapped his arm to get his attention. Emmett lowered his camera confusedly before noticing Bay was in front of him, causing him to smile brightly. 

“Hey, are you waiting for Daphne?” Bay asked, signing as many words as she could remember. Emmett nodded happily in response. 

“Can I look?” Bay suddenly asked, noticing a few photographs sticking out of Emmett’s hoody pocket.

Emmett nodded apprehensively, allowing the curly haired girl to look at his pictures. Bay smiled as she flipped through the different photographs, impressed by Emmett’s artistic eye and talent for photography. Music and art, the guy was a genius! 

“You’re an artist?” 

Emmett nodded once again, happy that Bay seemed to like his work. He noticed a picture poking out of Bay’s binder, gesturing to look at her work. Bay pulled out the picture nervously handing it to the talented photographer before her. Emmett smiled at it taking in the sight of a pregnant Regina. He tried to ask Bay if Regina was pregnant with her in the picture, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah,” Bay smiled happily. “But, uh, Regina doesn’t know I have it so…” Bay mimed locking her mouth and throwing away the key, hoping Emmett would keep the secret for her. He smiled affirmatively and went on to ask who the car in the picture belonged to. 

“It’s my dad’s,” Bay responded, unsure of the truth of that statement but making the assumption anyway. “Whoever that is…” She added quietly, looking down in disappointment.

Bay was beyond jealous of the fact that the switch had brought Daphne an amazing new mother and father while Bay received a seemingly tentative birth mother and an absent biological father. 

“The sticker in the windshield,” Bay pointed out. “I was hoping it might tell me where he lived or worked.” Emmett asked her if she had tried enlarging the image. 

“Yeah, I tried! I tried blowing it up, but it just got all blurry…” Bay trailed off. “You don’t know how to enlarge the image and, like, sharpen it, do you?” Bay asked hopefully.

Emmett nodded confidently, sure he could find the answers to the beautiful girl’s questions. Although he was hopelessly in love with Daphne, Emmett was beginning to take an interest in her curly haired Kennish counter-part. 

“If I sent you a .jpg…” Bay stated hopefully. Emmett nodded once again causing Bay to smile up at him excitedly. “Thank you!” 

Emmett smiled down at Bay, drowning in her brown eyes before a bell signaling a switch of classes went off. Bay jumped and told Emmett she had to get to French. He smiled at her and waved goodbye. 

“I’ll see you later though, right?” Bay asked hopefully. Emmett nodded in his deliberate and confident way, causing Bay to feel like she was melting inside. 

“Alright, bye,” she waved as she walked away from Emmett backwards, biting her lip nervously as he smirked back at her.   
____________________

Emmett jumped as his he noticed his mother, Melody enter his room. He quickly minimized the window with the picture of Regina on it and smiled up at Melody. She suspiciously asked her teenage son what he was up to and Emmett tried to act as casual as he could, explaining he was just working on a school project. Melody eyed her son curiously, knowing her son was lying but choosing to trust his judgment for the time being. She reminded him that dinner would be ready in 20 minutes before backing out of Emmett’s room. 

Once Melody was gone Emmett opened the window staring at the screen blankly. He needed to figure this out for Bay! He barely knew her but over the past few weeks of seeing her while he visited Daphne he had become infatuated with the edgy girl. Emmett drummed his fingers as he stared at the picture racking his brain for ideas.   
_____________________

Bay looked up from the books layed out in front of her as the familiar rumble of Emmett’s motorcycle engine neared her 

“Uh, hi!” Bay called. Emmett waved back before taking off his helmet. 

Bay quickly gathered her books and approached the deaf teenager looking particularly flustered. Emmett thought it was adorable.

“What are you doing here?” Bay asked both excited and nervous. Emmett pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and began unfolding it to show to Bay. 

“No way! You were able to read the parking sticker?” Emmett shook his head and pointed at the top of the paper. “The address to where my dad’s car is! How did you get this!?” Bay asked incredulously, looking at Emmett like he was a magician. Emmett smirked and pointed out the image of the license plate to Bay as if it was the most obvious thing. 

“Oh, the license plate number. I guess that’s more useful than the parking sticker. I’ve had that picture for weeks and I never once thought of doing that! You’re a genius,” Bay said embarrassed that she hadn’t caught such a simple clue on her own. Emmett shrugged modestly, happy that he had impressed Bay. 

“How do you say thank you in sign language?” 

Emmett showed Bay the sign. She repeated the sign back to Emmett and he smiled widely. He was so in love with the way she seemed to care about learning to properly communicate with him. The two teenagers stared into each other’s eyes for a minute before Bay nervously cleared her throat and looked back down at the sheet of paper Emmett had handed her. 

“Okay, so this is where the car was last year. Maybe it’s still there and maybe if we find the ownership we can trace the car all the way back to my dad!” 

Emmett nodded, Bay’s smiled filling his own body with excitement for her. He picked up his extra helmet, usually reserved for Daphne, and offered it to Bay hopefully. 

“Oh, you wanna go there now?” Bay asked surprised at Emmett’s eagerness. She hoped he would like her enough to be willing to help her, but she hadn’t expected he actually would be. Emmett shrugged as if asking her ‘why not’. Bay shifted from foot to foot nervously looking around the parking lot of Buckner. She bit her lip before smiling and holding her hand out for the helmet. 

“What the hell,” she exclaimed, strapping on the black helmet and climbing onto the back of Emmett’s motorbike. She nervously placed her hands on Emmett’s shoulders causing him to laugh before he took her small hands in his own and wrapped her arms around his waist, her fingers slightly trembling as they intertwined on his stomach.   
__________

Emmett pulled into a junkyard, parking and letting Bay off before following her lead. The two took off their helmets and rested them on Emmett’s motorbike. 

“No way,” Bay stated, mostly to herself. “Great.” Emmett beckoned Bay forward to head towards the cars. 

“What for? We’ll never find the car in there,” Bay said sadly. “And, even if we do, it won’t do us any good,” she grimaced with her typical pessimistic attitude. This was a huge junkyard and they were looking for a single car that had been in the junkyard for who knows how long. Emmett gestured for them to go and look anyway. 

“I hope that’s sign language for ‘because there’s a wizard in there who will make all you’re dreams come true!’” Emmett gave the girl a sly look before holding his hand out for her to grab.

Bay bit her lip staring uncertainly at Emmett’s outstretched hand. She had been waiting weeks for this very scenario to occur and now that it was she couldn’t be freaking out more. She took a deep breath before grabbing Emmett’s warm hand, loving the way their fingers interlocked.   
_________

The two teenagers spent an hour maneuvering through the junkyard before Bay spotted the car. She dropped Emmett’s hand and ran towards it. 

“Look, I think that’s the license plate!” she exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the car. 

She didn’t wait for Emmett to jump into the driver’s seat and begin rummaging through the beat up vehicle. Minutes later she sighed, climbing out of the car discouraged at its emptiness. 

“There’s nothing here,” Bay muttered, lips quivering with disappointment as she avoided eye contact with Emmett who was waiting next to the car. Bay angrily kicked the car attempting to express even a fraction of the emotions she felt. 

“I don’t know what I was thinking! That we’d drive up to my dad’s house and he’d throw open his arms and be like ‘there you are I’ve been waiting for you for 16 years’” Bay said attempting to hold back tears.

Emmett stared at the distress girl sadly before wrapping her in the hug she clearly needed. Bay buried her head in Emmett’s chest. She pulled away slightly to look up at Emmett so he could read her lips as she spoke.

“You know what’s amazing? You are the best listener I know.” Emmett smiled widely down at the girl in his arms. That was the single best thing someone had ever said to him. He pulled her back into his chest letting her rest her head against him and while she regained control of herself. 

Once Bay’s breathing had regulated Emmett reluctantly released his hold on her. He asked her if she wanted help searching the car again. Bay nodded and smiled at the boy in front of her. He was so much more than she ever could have imagined when she first met him. 

They began their second sweep of the car before Bay pulled a guitar pick on a string from the back seat.

“I guess someone played guitar,” she stated holding the small item out as Emmett took a picture of it. 

As he put his camera back into his bag he continued to stare at the pick intently, memories coming back to him from his childhood. Suddenly he began to frantically sign, sending Bay into a confused panic of her own. 

“Whoa, whoa! Dude, slow down! You may as well be speaking Russian.”Emmett laughed and composed himself, signing at a much slower and simpler pace. 

“Daphne and you were…kids… you found a guitar… you opened a guitar case! You saw…you didn’t see a guitar…” Bay guessed, trying her hardest to understand Emmett. “This is the most rocking game of charades ever!” she exclaimed jokingly causing Emmett to laugh and try and regain her attention. “Sorry! Someone walked in… my R… Regina! Regina walked in and saw you guys…and freaked out! Then what happened?” Emmett shrugged in response. That’s as far as the two children had gotten.

“What? Come on, you don’t know anything else? You can’t guess or something!?” Bay exclaimed desperately. 

Emmett shook his head signing that Regina had taken the guitar case away. Bay sighed, sad that they had reached another roadblock. The two teens stood staring at the pick trying to think of any possible explanation for Regina’s reaction all those years ago. 

“Okay. So maybe the guitar case is my dad’s!” Bay smiled tentatively, regaining hope. “And the stuff inside could help me find him!”Emmett explained that Regina had left boxes in Emmett’s garage from her move into Bay’s guesthouse. 

“Maybe the guitar case is there! Could we go look now?”Emmett shook his head explaining that they could look tomorrow. 

“It’s a date!” Bay smiled, shocking herself at her confidence and to her delight her agreed eagerly. 

Emmett offered her a ride back to Buckner and the two teens set off towards the entrance to the junkyard. They climbed back onto Emmett’s motorbike before tearing out of the gated yard and onto the road towards Mission Hills.   
__________________  
The following evening Emmett pulled into the Kennish’s driveway and stopped in front of Bay’s studio. She hurriedly went to grab her bag before she went to greet Emmett. By the time she reached the motorbike John was outside and attempting to talk to the teenager. 

“Dad, what are you doing?” Bay said stiffly, embarrassed at what her dad could potentially be saying to the guy she was falling for. 

“Oh, hey! Just talking to Emmett,” John laughed. “Or trying to at least.”

Bay smiled at Emmett and signed a greeting once she had his attention. She smiled shyly when he greeted her back and stared at her. 

“So,” John said, breaking the silence. “Are you looking for Daphne?”

“Um, actually I’m going over to Emmett’s to work on a project!” Bay answered, breaking eye contact with Emmett. 

“Oh,” John said surprised. “Well, be careful I guess,” John said begrudgingly, still quite uncomfortable with Emmett’s motorbike. 

“Yup, bye,” Bay called quickly, climbing onto the back of the bike and strapping on her helmet quickly to get away from her father’s prying eyes. 

The two sped towards Emmett’s house before pulling into the driveway of his well-kept house. They parked outside of the garage since it was filled with boxes of Regina’s belongings. 

“Um, is anyone home?” Bay asked nervously and Emmett reassured her it was just the two of them for the night as his mother had gone out with Regina. 

“Alright, lets get started then,” Bay said with a clap of her hands

Emmett pushed the garage door open and the two quickly got to work searching for a guitar case. 20 minutes in Bay laughed as she notice Emmett dressed as a pirate to her left. She smiled at the boy teasingly. 

“You don’t make a very scary pirate.” Emmett smiled teasingly and took the costume off with a shrug. “I don’t think the guitar case is in here. We would have found it by now.”

Bay surveyed the stuff around her, a brief case catching her eye. She reached for the case.

“What’s this? It looks official.”

The two opened the briefcase looking through the piles of letters inside. Bay pulled out a cassette tape reading the cover aloud.

“Songs for Regina. So the baby knows good music. All my love, A.S.” 

Bay smiled down at the cassette tape happily, imaging what could be on it. Emmett stared at Bay, her smile infectiously bringing a grin to his own face. Emmett continued to look through the files finding a certificate. He showed it to Bay whose smile grew impossibly large. 

“It’s Daphne’s birth certificate. I mean, my birth certificate. Angelo Sorrento! That’s my dad! I’m Angelo Sorrento’s daughter!” 

Bay launched herself at Emmett who caught her laughing. He set her down carefully and she leaned back looking into Emmett’s eyes. The two smiled at each other tilting they’re faces towards each other slightly before Melody pulled into the driveway, blinding the two with her headlights. The two teenagers quickly pulled away from each other and Emmett told Bay he’d drive her home. They quickly hopped on Emmett’s bike and passed Melody without a word. 

Emmett pulled into the Kennish’s driveway in front of Bay’s studio. She climbed off the back of the bike and handed Emmett her helmet. He took off his own and smiled at Bay as she stood in front of him fidgeting with the cassette tape in her hands. 

“Thank you, for all you’re help today,” Bay spoke nervously and signed. Emmett shrugged happily. “Um, well, goodnight,” she waved before slowly walking towards the door to her studio. 

She opened the door and looked back at Emmett who was still watching her. She gave him a little wave as she bit her lip and a faint blush graced her cheeks. He winked and waved back before pulling his helmet on and speeding away from the Kennish household. 

Bay happily collapsed onto the couch she had in her studio, staring up at the ceiling with a dreamy look on her face.


End file.
